Reviews

First, They Erased Our Name: a Rohingya speaks by Habiburahman, Sophie Ansel, Andrea Reece

readwithchlo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

4.0

ez_heath's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

justicepirate's review against another edition

4.0

This book talks about the Rohingya people through the eyes of a man who is from the minority Burmese natives that are highly oppressed people. He tells his story about his struggles growing up and the lack of opportunities given to him as in his country he is considered "black" and not important or worthy of much. He endured slavery in Thailand as well as other situations. It is nice to finally read a book by a Rohingya. It was really well written, though definitely not completely a happy ending since so many of these people are being killed and enslaved in Myanmar, Thailand, and other countries.

bookybrookey's review against another edition

3.0

This book was full of horrible events but there was too much time spent pre-conflict and not enough depth into what happened later. The writing was also pretty bad in some places, particularly the beginning, which made me want to put it down.

I’m hoping more Rohingya stories will come out over the years as it is a genocide that needs to be heard about around the world and I feel like this one novel does not do enough to go into the events in Myanmar.

In saying all this, it was still a good introduction into the causes, effects and covering-up of the genocide, and the second half was much better than the first, to the point that I found it hard to put down.

annetjeberg's review against another edition

5.0

This is a must-read for everyone. We do not know enough about the atrocities committed against the Rohingya, and their long struggle.

Beautifully written, very engaging, and oh so painful....

altlovesbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

I admit to knowing little and less about this region of the world and the problems the people of this region face. In reading this book, it really opened my eyes to the downright deplorable actions taken against Rohingya Muslims and the strangely blind eye the world has taken toward them. They’ve been stripped of nationality, of a home, of even the name of their people being spoken, subjected to imprisonment, torture, and death, and this was the first time I’d heard of it. What a world we live in. 

The book follows Habiburahman, from his earliest memories growing up in the Rakhine province of Myanmar, to the caution and danger he faced as a child growing up Rohingya in a nation where to speak their name invited abuse, imprisonment, and worse. The boot at the back of the Rohingya’s neck presses ever harder throughout this book, until Habiburahman ends up fleeing first his home, then his region, and finally the country trying to find someplace where he wouldn’t eternally be on the run or enslaved by his own people. 

This is a very sad story, told beautifully with the help of Sophie Ansel in the writing of it. That an entire culture of people can be effectively eliminated from a nation is a horrific thing to read about, but I’m very glad to have read it. Stories like this need to be read, heard, and spread. 

magnifique23's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

Ah, what an experience... as a generally more fiction oriented reader.. this book is basically required reading. It was heartbreaking, informative, and so breathtakingly raw. Might've shed a tear or two, but this truly is a beautifully heart shredding experience. All this to say, READ IT!

loveinafternoon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

paigenetting's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.25

sometimes it felt like he would spend 3 chapters on a couple days, and then fly through 5 years in 3 sentences. the end of the book picked up very fast and didn’t go into detail.

lucymaeand's review against another edition

5.0

This is an incredible story that keeps you hooked. It educated me on a part of history I wasn’t well aware of before. It was a quick 24-hour read for me.